ACMA pushes for low-cost roaming options

The Australian Communications and Media Authority is attempting to force telcos to provide their customers with low cost ways to use mobile phones while abroad, amid fresh horror stories of global roaming bill shock, including one consumer charged $150,000 after a 9 week trip to Europe.

The regulator also wants telcos to warn consumers when they are roaming and provide specifics about costs of calls and data usage in the country they are visiting.

The recommendations were contained in a new draft international roaming standard released on Thursday. Telcos have until May to comment.

It comes after the Telecommunications Industry Obmudman said that complaints about global roaming charges declined, disputes over bills of $5,000 or more continued to increase.

One lady was slugged with a $148,000 bill after a 9 week holiday in Europe, despite requesting a special plan to make calls cheaper. Others were hit with bills of $38,000 and $18,000.

In total, consumers disputed $8 million worth of global roaming charges between July and September.

“Some consumers who travel overseas for business or leisure are returning to telephone bills that are more expensive than the trips themselves," Ombudsman Simon Cohen said.

“Making sure that consumers are fully informed about roaming charges before and while they are overseas will go some way toward reducing the risk of returning home to a high bill," Mr Cohen said.